2/11/2009

How much is $58 billion?

With $58 billion HDB could build 580,000 units of flats at $100k each. This is almost all the flats owned by Singaporeans now. With $58b, it could buy 290,000 pieces of Mercedes Benz and line up the whole of PIE. With $58b, it will be more than the combined worth of the top 50 riches people in Singapore. With $58b, the govt can give to each Singaporean family $100,000 in cash. How long will it take to make back $58b? At 10% rate of return on investment on Temasek's balance of $127b, it may take 30 years. But if all the investments can double their value in 5 years, then it may take less than 3 years. The faster way of recouping the loss is to go to Sands when it opens. Place a $58b bet on red or black and one spin of the wheel could recover everything. $58b is $58,000,000,000!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the days of high returns may not return so soon, given that every country and every sector of the world's economy has been badly hit.

Company and manufacturing profitablility will only return when people have money to spend, and people have money to spend only when jobs return. Right now, about a fifth of the world's production capacity will very soon be producing nothing saleable, so how can recovery be seen in the near term.

As you say, placing the $58b bet on the wheel at Sands may allow for a faster recouping of the losses. But the $58b may well end up as golden sand in the Nevada Desert.

Lost Citizen

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

no you are wrong. there are many people who are still very cash rich. how do you explain people splashing $50k for a cooking class?

i wish i am a civil servant.

Anonymous said...

The Vicious Cycle will revolves a few rounds, so a long wait for recovery.

patriot

Anonymous said...

"$58b is $58,000,000,000!"

Please someone tell me this is HADE CURRENCY !

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

i think it is. no one feels any pain burning it.